[ 4 9 2 1
CARD AMINE hirfuta.
Hairy Ladies'-Smock.
3 S .
T E T R A D Y N A M I A Siliquofa.
G en. Char. Pod burfting elaflically, the valves
turning back. Stigma entire. Cal. a little fpread-
ing. One Gland on each fide, between the
fhorter ftamina and the calyx.
S pec. Char. Leaves pinnated ; leaflets roundifh or
oblong, notched, on footftalks. Stipulae none.
Syn. Cardaminehirfuta. Linn. Sp. PL 9 1 5 . Hudf.i()$.
With. 578. Sibth. 205. Curt. Lond. fafc. 4.
t. 48. Lightf. 348.
C. flexuofa. With. 578.
C. parviflora. Lightf. 1104. With. ed. 2. 686.
C. impatiens altera hirfutior. Rail Syn. 300.
K R E Q U E N T in moift fhady places, gardens, and g rav elly
w a fte grou nd , flow e r in g in the fp r in g , and v a ry in g m u ch in
lu xu r ian c e , as w e ll as in degree o f hairinefs.
R o o t annu al, fibrous, w h ite . Stem from 3 to 12 inches
h ig h , ere£t, more or lefs branched, le a fy , angular, generally
z ig z a g , cloth ed w ith fcattered prominent hairs. L ea v e s p innated,
a lte rn a te ; the leaflets o f the low erm o ft round or heart-
fhaped, the re ft ob long, all o f them notched, more or lefs ha iry,
ra re ly quite fmoo th , {landing on footftalks, oppofite or alternate.
Stipulae wantin g . F low e r s fm a ll, w h ite , numerous, in a te r minal
corymbus foon leng th ened ou t into a fpike. Stamina
g en e ra lly 6, bu t in early or ftarved flowers 2 o f them are often
w an tin g . Seeds numerous, fmall.
Some o f our Br itifh botanifts have been much in doubt about
this plant. T o us it is c lea r th at all the fynonyms above c ited
b e long to on ly one fp ec ies , nor do th ey e ven exprefs a marked
v ariety. L u xu r ian t fpecimens are moft z ig z a g , ftarved ones
m o ft ha iry. T h e C . parviflora o f Linnaeus is a v ery diftinck
fp ec ies , not hithe rto obferved in B rita in.
C . hirfuta is eatable in a y ou n g ftate as a fallad, h a v ing the
flavour o f the w a te r cre fs , y e t it has not come into general ufe.
I t is, in fome gardens, a troublefome w e e d ; fo r the radical
leaves fpread c lofe to the grou nd , and e ffedlua lly fmother more
delicate feedlings.